I must confess. I had never been that keen to go to the Maldives until I visited the fabulous, amazing new Hurawalhi Maldives Resort last month. Yes you heard me. And you may wonder- who in their right mind wouldn’t want to go to these jaw-dropping paradise islands? Err … that would be moi. And I had my own reasons….
How to Refresh and Tighten Your Face – Dermaster Aesthetic Clinic, Bangkok
I was feeling blah, achy, and all dried up like a raisin in the sun when I walked into Dermaster Wellness & Aesthetic Institution Bangkok. I was hoping that an anti-ageing treatment at this aesthetic clinic slash medical spa would rejuvenate my complexion and help me look fresher, and, please oh please, maybe even younger….
The Coolest Pool Penthouse in Phuket – Aleenta Resort Phuket, Thailand
What insider insight can I tell you about Phuket, an island so famous, so popular and so commercial that for decades it’s been consistently voted on “World’s Best Islands” lists and whatever other superlatives you can imagine. Well here’s a useful bit of info that might astonish people about this famous island. What most Phuket…
How to Find Bliss in Bhutan – Aman Resorts’ Meditation & Wellness Retreats, September – November
This September – November, luxurious Amankora resorts in the unspoilt Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan offer exclusive wellness experiences to take you on your own inner journeys, while travelling through its elegant lodges around the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Amankora – Meaning of Life Retreat 10th – 18th September If you’ve ever dreamed of an experience that will literally…
6 Unforgettable, Instagrammable, Shareable Things to Do in Bali
I never get tired of visiting Bali, and I go there on a regular basis. Thank goodness for good friends who live there, as well as a growing circle of new friends the more I go there. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s the most charming, inviting, relaxing, and photogenic of places to go…
How to house a Viceroy (what?) – Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel Mysore, India
What do you do when a Viceroy of the British Empire comes visiting? Build him a palace to stay in. I’ve said this before, and I say it again – I love old palace hotels in India. I love the majesty, the history, the crumbling edges, and the slight creepiness of these old buildings. The biggest…
White water rafting where the Ganges is glacial green – Snow Leopard Camp, Rishikesh, India
The Ganges River can surprise you, and I mean in a good way. High in the Himalayan foothills you can play on its aquamarine waters and sleep on its snow-white sand banks. I wasn’t always a luxury spa freak. I’ve always liked adventure travel and exotic places, as long as there’s some hygiene and comfort involved; I like…
Where Fitness Means Balance, Not Boot Camp – My Soulful Fitness Retreat at Kamalaya Koh Samui
I’m like everyone else in making New Year / new body resolutions after the holiday feasting frenzy. I even like to get a head start on my list in December, setting goals to join a gym, do a fitness boot camp, join a zumba class, get a trainer, blah, blah, blah. Well next thing you…
The raw beauty of natural gems: Q&A with fine jewellery designer Yang Riches
From big bold statement pieces to dainty dangling droplets, the allure of raw, natural gemstones is eye-catching in every piece of Yang Jewellery. Find out what inspires this amazing designer … To those who know her, my friend Yang Riches is admired in Bangkok social circles for her classic elegance and ageless style. Tall and slim, she loves fashion and always…
5 Best Luxury Yoga Retreats & Resorts in Thailand
Yoga resorts, yoga retreats, yoga teacher training centers, yoga detox, spiritual escapes and personalized yoga programs – I’ve rounded up the best yoga holidays in Thailand for you. These are places where your daily yoga class comes with organic health cuisine or gourmet vegetarian food, along with spa facilities offering massages and detox. Wellness facilities are all there…
Where the eats and drinks are pretty and pink – Okura Prestige Bangkok’s Sakura Afternoon Tea
I felt like I needed to get back into city mode after returning to Bangkok from Bali. Frolicking among the birds of paradise like a rainforest nymph can’t go on forever, and now it was time to hang the batik sarong back on its bamboo peg and get my head into some kind of business mode again. And what could be…
Where a magic mountain retreat recharges body and spirit – Alassari Plantation Bali
When I told people my next destination in Bali was a private coffee plantation with luxury villas and spa high up in the central hills, the reaction was always the same – widened eyes and “wowww … sounds reeeally nice! Where!” My own reaction was pretty much the same when I first saw Alassari Plantation’s…
Home sweet home at the secret honey house – Villa Madu Ubud, Bali
I would never have known about Villa Madu in Bali if a friend in Ubud hadn’t suggested it to me (thank you secret friend! You know who you are!). It’s one of those under-the-radar places that I’ve never seen before in big magazines, but is known through word-of-mouth, or by people who know people. I…
Where life is beautiful by design – Stone House luxury B&B, Bali
I left Stone House Bali a few weeks ago, yet when I think of it now, I can still feel as if I’m there. So vivid was my stay there that the feeling lasts and lasts, and is imprinted deep into my sense memory. When you stay at Stone House, you absorb every bit of the…
BOOK A WELLNESS HOLIDAY via BAREFOOT LUXE!
Like what you read here? Want to feel your best self? Book a wellness holiday at Thailand’s best health retreats & spas, best price guaranteed – * KAMALAYA KOH SAMUI Read my review & Book Your Stay yoga, spa, detox, de-stress, weight loss, fitness, holistic healing, energy healing, meditation, spiritual healing, life coaching,Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda,…
How to Donate in Cambodia – Open Hearts, Open Doors with the Shinta Mani Foundation
If there’s a pitfall about luxury travel, it’s the twinge of guilt you feel when going to destinations that are less developed and have economic hardship. You can feel uneasy to be enjoying luxury when others around you are struggling to live from day to day. Thankfully, hotels and resorts can help bridge this gap…
Where Angkor chic shines – the Shinta Mani, Siem Reap, Cambodia
– Where ancient Khmer motifs infuse contemporary design. Believe it or not, I’ve lived in Bangkok for years and had never been to Cambodia, even though it’s just across the border. Maybe it’s the close proximity, but it never seemed so urgent a destination. The only reason to visit would be to see Angkor Wat, but,…
What Happens in the Star Chamber – Ayurveda Black Marine indulgence at Dii Wellness Med Spa Bangkok
Looking for ultra-luxury spa glamour in Asia’s spa capital? Make sure you have 4 hours to spare. It ‘s only fitting that Bangkok’s very glamourous Dii Wellness Med Spa is located in Bangkok’s luxurious Central Embassy Mall upstairs from Gucci, Ralph Lauren and Prada. Here you’ll find pampering spa treatments with anti-ageing medi spa services including…
Ayurveda Weight Loss Holiday – Barberyn Beach Ayurveda Resort Sri Lanka
Sometimes – usually after I’ve overloaded on too much cake and croissants – my idea of a dream vacation is to go to a nice seaside health resort to lose weight, eat good food, relax and rest without stepping inside a gym, and do hardly anything . Hahahaha! Sounds too good to be true? It’s not. Such places do exist! The hilltop swimming…
Train Spa-ing in the Highlands – all aboard Europe’s first spa carriage on the Belmond Royal Scotsman
Open a luxury spa menu and you’re likely to find treatments called “spa journey this” and “spa journey that”, which are meant as journeys of the senses but don’t really take you anywhere outside your spa suite. Finally, someone’s come up with something that really is a literal spa journey, and it’s so practical to boot. Coming this April 17, 2017,…
Dude, Your Chopper Awaits – Asia’s First Luxury Heli-Surfing, à la Four Seasons Jimbaran Bali & Tropicsurf
Do overcrowded beaches bother you? I’ve never actually been on one, since I’ve never been on a beach in Europe, where all the beaches look like a Spencer Tunick naked art installation. Who is Spencer Tunick? He’s a brilliant U.S. artist famed for creating human installations of mass nudes in various world locations, mostly…
Art of Wellness – The Museum Workout, at the Metropolitan Museum New York
If you love New York City, classical art & architecture and feeling fit, here’s something that will intrigue you. It intrigues me! All of these are thing close to my heart and here’s a fascinating new event that combines all of them in my absolute favourite place in all New York – The Metropolitan Museum…
How to Get a Sound Sleep – Gong Therapy at The Siam Hotel Bangkok’s Opium Spa
From 20 – 23 February, 2017 Do you have trouble relaxing? Find it hard to get a good sleep? Here’s a soothing wellness treat that helps you let go and unwind. Kicking off a roster of wellness offerings this year, The Opium Spa at The Siam Hotel Bangkok offers soothing Gong Therapy by visiting consultant Martha…
The Smog Eaters Are Coming – the Vertical Forest Nanjing, China
Next year, an eco building with 1,100 trees will absorb 25 tons of CO2 per year and produce 60kg of oxygen daily in smoggy China. Big trees fascinate me; the older and bigger, the better. They’re so beautiful, and so majestic. If you’ve seen my Barefoot Luxe Facebook page, there are quite a few posts of beautiful…
BAREFOOT LUXE - Blog Asia luxury travel, best spas & wellness, top hotels, resorts, barefoot luxury lifestyle 